Apparatus for coking coal and producing gas.



H L. DOHERTY.

APPARATUS FOR COKING GOAL AND PRODUCING GAS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22, 1909; 997,941 Y Patented July 11,1911.

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wi cwmoaoz Henry L. Doherta. amen/[30m 66 $5M q ttozum H. L. DOHERTY.

APPARATUS FOR COKING GOAL AND PRODUCING GAS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22. 1909.

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H. L. DOHERTY.

APPARATUS FOR GOKING COAL AND PRODUCING GAS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22, 1909. 997,941. Patented July 11,1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Hen r L. DoherTy,

wwneogao WM W d/3W HENRY L. DOH ERTY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APiPARTUS FOR COKING COAL AND PRODUCING GAS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1911.

Original application filed June 22, 1909, Serial No. 503,733. Divided and this application filed June 22,

1909. Serial No. 503,734.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY L. DOHERTY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of-New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Coking Coal and Producing Gas, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention relates to'apparatus for cokingcoal and producing gas and, in particular, to that kind of such apparatus in which the coking of the coal is performed by the direct action of gas flame and the products of combustion from such flame and the gases from the quenching of the coke passed in contact with the finished coke.

' The object of my invention is to provide an improved form of apparatus for carrying out the process of coking revealed and claimed in a co-pending application, Ser. No. 503,733,fi1ed June 22nd, 1909.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section through an oven or coking chamber of the apparatus, on the line A B ofFig. 4. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of the top of the oven showing the details of the charging mechanism, the water jacket of the same, poke-holes, etc. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the recuperator on the line C D or Fig. 4. ratus. Fig. 5 is a section through the water cooled-lever mechanism operatin the charging cones on the line E F of Fig. 2, showing the blowing apparatus in elevation.

1, 1, 1, 1 are the individual ovens; 2 the recuperator; 3 the gas blower and exhauster; 4 theair blower; 5 and 6 are the engines or motors driving 3 and 4, respectively.

Each oven, 1, has a main coking chamber, 7, having a thick fire-brick wall, 8, built in a metallic shell, 9. The chamber, 7, is partly closed at the bottom by a hopper bottom, 10, below which is located the quenching cham-I her, 11. This chamber has a grate, 12,

which is formed of metal shelves or plates running horizontally across the chamber 11 I and supported by the shell 9, thereof. These shelves are set staggered so that they form a step-grate upon which the column of coke in the chamber, 7, is supported.

1.3 is the discharge chute of the oven haw i ing a gate, 14, raised .bya rack, 15, and pinion, 15'. A hand-wheel, 16, operates the pinion15.

Fig. 4 is a plan of the whole appa-' Spray caps, 17, are inserted in the quench ,ing chamber and are supplied with water upon the latest charged coal on the top of the coke bed. 'These burners comprise an outer tube, 20, of fireclay, or some other,

highly refractory material, 'and an inner tube, 21-. The inner tube is set into 20 in such a way as to ,leave an annular space between it and the wall of the tube 20. This annular space is connected to a gas distributing pipe, 22-, by the short tube 23. The inner tubes 2121 are connected to the airdistributing pipes 2424. Valves, 25 and 26, on the gas and air connections 21 and 23, serve to control the gas and air supply to the burners 19.

The passages 27-27' for withdrawing the gases formed in the oven are inserted in the oven at aboutthe middle zone of the coke bed therein. These off-take pipes dis charge into pipes, 28 and 28, which run along the front and back, respectively, of the group of ovens. These pipes 28 and 28 are cross-connected by the pipe 29, and connected with the recuperator by the pipe 30. The air-distributing pipes 24 and 24 are cross-connected by the pipe 31, and con nected to the recuperator by the pipe 32. The gas-distributing pipes 22, 22- are crossconnected by the pipe 33 and connected to the discharge pipe 34 of the gas blower 3 by a pipe 35. Valves, 36 and 3'7, on 34 and 35, respectively, serve toregulate the pressure under which the gas is supplied to the pipe 35. Poke-holes, 38, permitof access to the interior of the oven for the purpose of barfrom the grate 12..

The charging apparatus on the top of each oven comprises, acoal hopper, 42,

closed by a hopper -bottom,-43, and a cone,

1 44. Below 42 is an air. chamber, 45, closed a conical supported.

plug ,of fireclay, 46, properly Since the temperature in the upper part of .7 is very high, in" the usual method 0t operation, it is necessary to provide a watercooled device to operatethe cones 46 and The device for this purpose which I show in the accompanying drawings consists of a hollow rod, a7, closed by a heavy cap, 18, which latter, aiiords a bearing surface for the cone a6. a4: and 46 are rigidly attached to 4C7. At the top, 47, is attached to a !'-connection, 49, the ends of the horizontal -passage, of which are carefully turned to form journals. corresponding solid bearings, 50 and 51, in the connections 52 and 53, respectively, which, with the T-connection 54:, form a yoke-shaped connection, which I will designate for the sake of brevity as 55. Stufing boxes, 56 and 57, respectively, prevent leakage around the bearings 50 and 51. lnserted in 4:7 and reaching nearly to the bottom thereof is a water-pipe, 58. The upper end of this has an L-connection which is screwed on to a short horizontal nipple, 59, screwed into a bushing, 60, which is set into that end of the T-connection 49 which worlzs in the bearing 50. In the arm 52 is a passage, 61, equal in diameter to the pipes ,59 and 58. The hollow-rod 47 communicates through the end of the T, 49, which is journaled in,51 with the passage 62 in the piece 53. A bushing, 63, is set into that end of the T-connection, 5 1, which. is attached to the piece 52. into this bushing 63 is fastened a nipple, 64, which isjoined by an L-shaped connection with thepipe 65. Connected with the T 54 is a pipe, 66,

which is, in turn, connected with the ]ournaled I. 67, and envelops the pipe 65. The journaled ends of 67 work in the solid bearings 68 and 69, which are borne by abracket, 70, attached to the shell of the coal hopper 4:2. Connected with bearing 68 is a pipe, 71, having a valve, 72, and with 69 a waste-pipe, 73. By opening the valve 72,

water flows through 71, 65, 51, 59 and 58 to the bottom of 47, cooling the caps 48, rises through 47, and passing through 62, 66, 67 escapes through 73. By this device I am able to support the cone 46 in the chamber 7 in spite of the high temperature therein.

Surrounding the air chamber 45 of the charging hopper is a gutter, 74;. This is supplied with water by. the pipe 75. An overflow, 76, connects with a gutter 77,

which collects the overflow from all the water jackets and discharges through the waste pipe 78. Set into the bottom gutters 74 are the water-jackets 79 of the poke-hole casings 80. These latter are fastened watertight into 79 at the bottom thereof and project to the'top of 74. Brackets, 81, fastened firmly in the gutter 74 serve to furnish support to the parts 80. Caps, 82, fit loosely over 80 and dip deeply enoughinto the gutter 7=l to provide a wateivseal slightly deeper These work in "83 and 83, having thick walls, 84:, built in by vertical pipes,

. the valve eaves].

than the height of the water column corre sponding to the pressure in the chamber 7 These pokeholes 89 are provided for the purpose of permitting the barring of the coke-bed from the topwhen such treatment becomes necessary and also to provide access to the. burners 19 and 19. Prior to removing the caps 82, the air and gas must be shut off. i rom the burners by closing the valves provided for that purpose.

The recuperator comprises two chambers,

a metal shell, 85. Small man-holes, 86, having ooverfs,"86, are provided for furnishing access to the interior chambers 83 and 83 and to the air fines contained therein. These latter consist of vertical fines, 87, connected top and bottom-to headers, 8888 and 89, respectively. A partition wall, 90, separates the two chambers 83 and 83, communication between which is established by the flue 91, in 90.- Headers, 88", are connected which latter is connected with blower, 4:, by the pipe 94:. The blower 4 is in connection, through the pipe 95, with a source'of prod uctsof combustion, such as the stack flue 96.

.The air inlet is through the pipe 97. Valves,

98 and .99, on 95 and 97, respectively, permit of a regulated proportion of flue gas to be admixed with the air drawn in by the .blower 4 when desired. Headers, 88, are

connected by the vertical pipes103 with the cross-fines, 104.

The method of operating my apparatus is as tollowsz-Coarse cinder. or coke is charged into the chamber7 until a column of that materi'alhas been built up to the top of hopper 10. A fire. is now, kindled on the top of this bed of cinder, the door ell being open and the exhauster 3 operating at a low speed. Coke is now gradually charged into the chamber 7, until a bed of ignited coke has been built up to a little above the level of the gas OE-takes 27-27. At first, owing to the thinness of the fuel bed, the gas drawn oil? by the exhauster consists of products of coluipletc combustion, CO, and N,- andis an ordinary flue gas As the depth of the ed of coke increases, the character of the g s with- 92, to the cressi'lue, 93,

drawn from the chamber .7 .changes an increasing proportion of carbon monoxid taking the place of the carbon dioxid, originally present, and, the gas passing through theexhauster has become a fairly good producer gas. To prevent the gas reaching the exhauster-blower il while still at a high temperature, the air blower i is set in operation, 100 on 32 being closed and 101 on pipe 102 open. When the gas discharging through the discharge-pipe 34- of the exhauster 3 has become a fairly good producer the valve 37 on pipe 35 is opened and s Kits. 7

he valve 36 on 3d closed suiiiciently to.

. formation of hydrogen and carbon monoxid, forming producer gas. The apparatus 1s cause slight pressure on the gasin The valves 23 and 23 are now opened and the-gas issuing from the burners '1919 ignited. The valve 101 isnow closed, 100

opened and air gradually turned on at the burners by means of valves 2626. Coke is now charged into 7 until the bed has reached the level indicated in Fig. 1. As soon as the eiitire columnof coke has been brought up to a good heat, the door 41 is closed. The gas from the burners l9-19 passes down through the hot coke its Water vapor and CO, being dissociated with the now ready for the actual coking operation. Coal is charged into 7, and is immediately subjected to has heat-of the flame from the gas burners 13 and 19. The volatile mat ter of the coal is distilled, andthis together with the combustion gases from -19 and 19' passes down through the coke, setting up reactions therewith, which dissociate the Water vapor and CO as above explained, and crack the heavy hydrocarbon vapors of the distillation products into hydrocarbons of-lower molecular Weight, Which are permanent gases. As the coal becomes coked, materialis drawn out at the bottom of'the oven through chute 13, and the hot coke settles down through 10 onto'the grate l2. Tater is now turnedinthe spray nozzles 17, and falling on the hotcoke is vaporized, the vapor passing up through the hotter coke in 10 and in the lower portion of the fuel bed. As a result the vapor is more or.

less completely dissociated into hydrogen, carbon-dioxid and carbon monoxid. The products of this reaction together with the gases formed-in the upper part of 7- are drawn off to the recuperator 2 through 27 and 27 and the connecting pipes. Passing through 2 the hot gases give up the major portion of their sensible heat to the air passa ing through the airflues of the recuperator.

Part of the gas is passed back to the burners through the pipe. 35, as already explained,-

while the excess, not needed in the coking of the coal, is c ducted to a holder, or'to a furnace, or gas engine as may be desired.

By means oft-his apparatus I am able u. coke coal according to the process revealed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 503,733, mentioned above. I am by this invention able to exercise thorough control over the coking operation and can vary at Wlll the character of the coke produced simply by varying the conditions in the ovens by easily operated adjustments without making any change in my apparatus laving' claim is 1. Inan appaeatus for cokingco'al and producing gasytlie combination of a coking fchambenia gas-burner in the upper part of said chamber, a quenching chamber, separate from, but in communication with, said coking chamber, and means in said quenching chamber for spraying Water onto the coke in said chamber, substantially as described.

2. In an. apparatus't'or coking coal and producing gas, the combination of a closed coking chamber and a plurality of burners in the upper part of said chamber, said burners having double concentric passages for the passage under pressure of air and combustible gas, respectively, and being adapted to project a flame of burning gas upon the charge in said chamber, the said burners having an inclination such that the flame from each burner will impinge upon the said charge at, substantially, the middle portion of the upper surface thereof, substantially as described. v

3. In an apparatus for coking, coal and producing gas, the combination of a closed coking chamber and a plurality of burners in the upper part of said chamber, said burners having concentric passages for the passage under pressure of air and combustible gas, respectively,- and being adapted to project a flame of burning gas upon the charge in said chamber, substantially as described.

4. 'In' an apparatus for coking coal and producing gas, the combination of a coking chamber, a burner in the upper part of said chamber, said burner being adapted to project a flame of burning gas uponlhe surface of the charge in said chamber, a passage connecting the gas passage of said burner with the said'c'oking chamber, and a draftproducing-means interposed in said connecting passage, substantially as described.

5.'In an apparatus -for coking coal and producing gas, the combination of a coking chamber, means for charging coal into said coking chamber, a'gas burner in the upper part of said chamber, gas oil-takes communicating with, substantially, the middle portion of said chamber, a quenching chamber separate from said coking chamber, and a passage connecting said coking chamber with said quenching chamber, substantially as descr1bed.-

6. In an apparatus for coking coal, and producing gas, the combination of a coking chamber; means for introducing coal into said coking chamber, a gas burner in the upper part of said chamber; gas oft-takes communicating with, substantially, the middle portion 0t said coking chamber; a quenching'chamber separate from said cok-f ing chamber, said quenching chamber comdescribed my invention, what I.

prising an inclosing shell, a stepped-grate adapted to receivethe coke dischargedfrom and a means for spraying Water onto said stepped-grate; and a passage connecting the said quenching chamber with said coking chamber, substantially as described.

7, in an apparatus for coking coal and producing gas; the combination of a coking chamber; means for introducing coal. into said coking chamber; a plurality of gas burners in the upper part of said chamber; gas old-takes communicating with, substantially, the middle portion of said coking chamber; passages joining the gas passages of said burners with said gas ofi-takes; a quenching chamber separate from said coking chamber, said quenching chamber comprising an inclosing shell, a stepped-grate chamber means for introducing coal into said chamber; a plurality of burners in said coking chamber, said burners having double concentric passages for the passage under pressure of air and combustible gas, respectively, and adapted to project a flame or burning-gas upon the charge thereingand a recuperator adapted to heatthe air supplied .to said burners, substantially as described. I

9. In a coal-coking and gas-producing apparatus, the combination of a coking chamber; means for charging coal into said chamber, a plurality or burners in the upper part of said chamber arranged around the periphery thee f and adapted to project a dame of buranng gas upon the charge in said chamber: a recuperator for heating the air supplied 'to said burners; a quenching chamber in uxtaposition to said coking 5 chamber; a passage connecting the said quenching chamber with the said coking chamber; and off-take passages for withdrawing the gas formed in said coking oven at, substantially, the middle portion of the bed of coke therein, substantially as described.

10. In a coal-coking and gas-producing apparatus, the combination of a coking chamber; means tor charging coal into said chamber; a burner in the upper part of said chamber adapted to project a dame of burning gas upon the charge in said chamber; a recuperator having a passage for ges and separate passages for air; a passage connect-' ing the gas-inlet passage of said recuperator with the said coking chamber at, substantially, the middle portion thereof; a passage connecting the gas discharge-passage of said recuperator with the gas passage of said burners; a drattrproducing means inter" posed in the last-mentioned passage; a pas sage connectmg the air inlet passage of said recuperator with a draft producing means;-

and a passage connecting the air dischargepassage of said recuperator with the air passage of said burner; a quenching chamber in juxtaposition to said coking chamber; a passage connecting thesaid coking chamber and the said quenching chamber; means for quenching coke in said quenching chamber, and means for withdrawing coke tromsaid quenching chamber, substantially as described.

11. In an apparatus for coking coal and I producing gas, the combination of a coking chamber; said coking chamber having walls and a dome of refractory material inclos ed in a metal shell, water-jacketed pokeholes in the dome of said coking'chamber, and poke-holesin the walls of said chamber, a plurality of gas burners in the upper part of said coking chamber, arranged around the periphery thereof, and adaptedto direct a flame of burning gas upon the top of the fuel bed in said chamber, gas passages in said burners, and air passages in said burners, pipes connecting the gas passages of said burners to a gas distributing pipe, and passages connecting the 'air passages of said burners to an air distributing pipe, valves on said connecting passages, gas oii takes at substantially the middle of said chamber, and a hopper bottom; a coal charging means comprising a coal hopper, a movable plug adapted to close the bottom of said hopper, an air chamber located between said coal hopper and the top of said c'oking chamber, a movable plug of refractory material adapted to close the bottom of said air chamber, a lever mechanism actuating said movable plugs, said lever mechanism comprising a hollow vertical member passing through and attached to the axial portion of said plugs, said vertical member having a water inlet pipe in the; interior thereof, a cap closing its lower end and its upper extremity attached to a hollow horizontal member, journals terminating the ends of said horizontal memher, a yoke having solid, bearingsfor supporting the journaled ends of said horizontal member, a hollow tubular member connected to said yoke, hollow trunnions mounted on said tubular member, the interior passages of said trunnions being connected, one with the interior of said tubular member and the other with a water-inlet pipe inclosed in said tubular member, solid bearings supported by the shell of said coal hopper, said bearings bein adapted to support said trunnions pi sai tubular member in a substantially, hbrizo'ntal plane, whereby the said tubular member may be rotated in a substantially vertical plane, thus communicating. a substantially vertical movement to the hollow vertical member of said bearings, and comm nicating with the intrunnion of said tubularme'mber whose inlever mechanism and to the plugs thereto attached, a'water pipe connected with .that

one of said bearings which supports that said shell, a baflie wall'dividing the chamber inclosed by said shell into two parts, a plurality of passages in said baflle wall establishing communication between the parts of said inclosed chamber, a passage connecting the gas off-takes of said coking chamber with the gas inlet-passage to one of the parts of said inclosed chamber of said: re cuperator, a assageconnecting the gas outterior passage is in-com'munication with the lnclosed water pipe of said tubular member, awaste plpe connectel to the other of said terior of said tubular member through the interior assag e of the trunnion supported let passage trom the other of said chamby said caring, a passage in one arm of hers with a as blower, a plurality of groups said yoke connecting the inclosed water 1I1- of vertical dues in the chambers of said reof sai horizontal the lnterior an inclosed quenching chamber,

water-spraying means in said discharging means comprisin pinion; a recuperator, said recuperator comlet-pipe of said 'water inlet-pipe tubular member with the of said vertical member a connecting pipe in the interior member, a passage in the other arm of said yoke, connecting the interior passage of said tubular member with passage of said vertical member through the. interior passage of said horizontal member, wherebya flow of water may beestablished through the said lever mechanism and through the plugsadapted to close the bottoms of, respectively, the said coal hopper and the said air chamber; a cokequenching means, located below the hopperbottom of said-cokingchamber, comprising a stepped grate in said chamber adapted to receive the coke discharged from said coking chamber, chamber, adapted to spray water upon the coke on said grate, water pipes connected to said water-spraying means, valves onlsaid water pipes, poke holes in the wall of said inclosed chamber a man-hole in the wall of said chamber, a means for discharging c'oke from said inclosed quenching chamber, said cokean inclined a gate on said chute, a rack on said pinion gearing with said rack, and wheel attached to the axle of said cuperators, the flues of each group being connected to an upper header and a lower header, a connecting passage between the lower headers of cooperating groups of ver tical fines in each chambenpipe connections to each of said upperheaders, a cross-connection connecting the said pipe-connections to the upper headers cuperator chambers to which charge-passage is connected; a ipe connecti-ng said cross-connection toa raft producing means; a draft producing means, having suction connections to a source of combustion gases and to the atmosphere; valves on said connections; a cross-connection connecting the said pipe connections-to the upper headers of the other of said rec'uperator chambers; a passage connectingthe latter of said-cross-connections with the, air distributing-pipes 01 said coking charm" er; and a passage connecting the dischargepipe of said gas-blower with the gas distributing-pipes of said coking oven, all substantially as described. 1

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 18th day of June 1909.

HENRY L. DOHERTY.

through 'the gas-dis- Qh gate, a a hand Witnesses: WILSON G. BERRYMAN,

prising, a metal shell, a refractory lining in FRED B. .MUL'oox;

Copies 0! "this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

, Washington, D. C.

regulating of that one of said re- 

